Officer Richard Larry Odum

Richard Larry Odum

Officer Richie Odum died as a result of contracting COVID-19 while performing his duties as a tactical instructor with arrest powers at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center at 108 Sunshine Road in Savannah.

Officer Odum had served with the Georgia Public Safety Training Center for 10 years and had previously served with the Appling County Sheriff’s Office and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department. He is survived by his wife and two sons.

The Effects of COVID on Law Enforcement

Beginning in early 2020, thousands of law enforcement officers and other first responders throughout the country began to contract COVID-19 during the worldwide pandemic. Due to the nature of their job, law enforcement officers were required to work and interact with the community even as the majority of the country was self-quarantined. As a result, hundreds of officers died from COVID-related illnesses and other complications.

Corrections agencies, in particular, suffered tremendous losses due to the constant and close proximity between the corrections officers and large inmate populations. Since March 2020, ODMP has verified that over 900 law enforcement officers have died as the result of a confirmed or presumed exposure while on duty and continues to work with hundreds of other agencies that have suffered a COVID-related death.

Visit ODMP's COVID-19 memorial listing every officer who has died as a result of a confirmed or presumed exposure.